Called the Oxford of the East, Pune is a bubbling cosmopolitan city. A large student hub, this city loves art, culture and theatre.
The Sahyadri hill range of the Western Ghats makes this destination ideal for hiking and wildlife spotting. A shower of rain brings the city alive.
The Agha Khan Palace of Pune is a sprawling complex with emerald green gardens and sprawling lawns, perfect for a casual stroll. The Shaniwarwada is an ancient structure built by the Peshwas and the ruins of this marvellous architecture can still be seen in the city. Dedicated to the brave hearts of the Indian Army, the National War Museum is a popular tourist destination and houses militia paraphernalia.
Those interested in meditation can get day passes from the Osho International Meditation Resort, which is very popular with tourists.
Handcrafted beer, baked goodies at the Kayani Bakery on East Street and eateries such as Touche the Sizzler, Malaka Spice and Dario's will complete your trip here. Read More

Monsoon often makes travel fussy. For people travelling in mountains it makes traveling difficult due to the risk of landslides and road blocks. For trekkers, the trail becomes slippery and people sometimes avoid traveling at that time. How about If I say that there is a place better to travel in monsoon than any other time of the year. I am talking of Pune and its surrounding.

Life is better in hiking boots, Saturday 24th June 2017.Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the Nature. Wash your spirit clean.We started from Pune at 1.oo pm reached Thakurwadi by 6.30 pm after introduction from group members we start walking towards the plateau the route is pretty easy.It is a steady ascent over bad roads and jungle trails. Difficulty level is easy and almost everybody should be able to do.you should avoid carrying heavy load on trek.

For starters, Pune has the Imagica theme park with rides, restaurants, and performances that can make any summer vacation a delight. You can stay at Novotel Imagica Khopoli that’s inside the theme park and let the young ones try every ride and slide with no time pressure.A more refined experience in Pune is ABC Farms, where you can take your little gourmet travellers to sample different varieties of cheese. Slightly older kids can accompany you to the Soma Vine Village in Nashik for a tranquil holiday amidst picturesque vineyards. What will they do there, you ask?Hang out at the Red Room that is full of games, try adventure sports such as rock climbing, go cycling on the estates, and swim in the pool. Meanwhile, you can do wine tastings and vineyard tours.

Finally had to say good buy to the picturesque Ooty which rejuvenated my soul !Visit Ooty any time of the year and it would never disappoint you . But if you are an ardent fan of nature , visit this place during monsoons . It would give you a chance to redefine beauty .

It all started with the idea of giving a birthday surprise. Packed the bags and started off the trip from Pune with birthday boy.You can reach Ooty by choosing various routes. One way to reach is via Banglore/Mysore . I opted for nearest airport from Ooty i.e. Pune to Coimbatore via flight and then covered remaining 85km(approx) distance to Ooty by road . You get cabs easily from main road outside the airport.Don't go for the taxis which are inside airport's premises as they would charge higher .

The alarm buzzed at 6 AM and we were supposed to join office but we were 250 Km far from Pune . Within 30 minutes we were ready and left Kolhapur . Made a call to my manager that I will be a bit late as I have an appointment with a doctor and by 11 AM we reached home. Yippie the trip is over successfully time to go to work and I was at my desk by 12 PM responding to the emails and back to normal daily life.My manager enquired me about my health and what happened that I need to visit doctor but deep inside I was smiling thinking about my journey :)Distance Travelled : 269 KmTotal Distance Travelled : 1529 KmDo watch our Entire Journey here https://youtu.be/nzni-bL9QyoThanks for going through my travelogs , do watch the trailer video that i linked with this blog . Comment and let me know your views ,it will inspire us for more trips in near future . Also you can connect with our facebook page https://facebook.com/moto2wrist and our youtube channel MOTO2WRIST where we upload more such videosTHANKSRAKESH (MOTO2WRIST)

The bus dropped me off at 6 AM across a highway with nothing in sight but a tiny tea stall and a dingy OYO room service that cost more than my flight tickets back from Pune to Delhi. Like other two coastal stays, this city served a purpose as well and we’ll unfold it after we get through my understanding of progressive rock and music in general.I don’t own any instruments. I couldn’t afford one and now it’s just too late because I would rather invest my money on things that’d shape memories and reap benefits for a happier future.The pure joy of music came very late to me, at least the kind that gets me numb and holds its wire against the pulse of my wrist to check if I’m still alive. More than anything else, it’s like running on a hedonic treadmill that won’t stop unless you want it to.Exhilarating. Overwhelming. Soothing.Three words that summed up my interpretation of music, irrespective of the genre like books and on-the-road shenanigans.

Myself and three friends reached panvel by 2300 but one of our friend was running late and landed up coming by 2345, so we started late for the journey. Dadar -(train) panvel - pune - satara - bamnoli.

Before we get to actual trip, here’s what happened during the prep stage. As a lazy guy, procrastination is my forte. So obviously when it came to packing for this trip, I waited until the last day (the last 10 hours of the last day, to be precise). The last time I was in Himachal Pradesh, the weather was perfect for beach-bum shorts, flip-flops and if I was feeling risque enough, a floral shirt. This time was a little different. Since it was the beginning of Winter, the temperature there did not permit the exposure of my sexy legs and so I had to pack accordingly. Once I got that out of the way, with a little help from a friend who folded my clothes and my underwear (reluctantly) while I supervised, I was ready to leave.

This is the capital of the state of Goa and is probably the smallest state capital. Panaji is also the headquarters of the North Goa District and is situated on the banks of the Mandovi River Estuary is the Tiswada Region. The more popular name is Panaji but Panjim is also a commonly used term. This was the name by which the Portuguese used to address this city. When the whole of India got independence, Goa was still under the colonial rule of the Portuguese who freed it a number of years later. The Portuguese effect is what you will get in each and every thing of Goa and Panjim too. The attractions here are the lovely white church, the food that you will get here and of course the different types of building lined on the sides of the narrow streets. These houses are the remains of the various clans who have ruled here including the Latins and the Portuguese. The houses look beautiful and brightly coloured and many of them have simple yet pretty wrought iron balconies too. Many of these are now either resorts for budget concious travellers or restaurants for the ones who love to taste Portuguese and Goan cuisine.Read More

As soon as we woke up on our bus ride, rain greeted us and the weather suddenly became humid, but the views we encountered on our way and the excitement of the journey ahead made us ignore the uncomfortable weather.

Finally the day came. Valentine's day, we woke up early in the morning and left to Panjim for the carnival. After 30-45 minutes we reached Panjim and joined​ the carnival. Many groups were performing at that carnival, it was something that I can't forget in my life. Well planned, well coordinated. Awesome performance was given by the groups and members who participated in that Carnival . We spent our whole day in that carnival and we enjoyed to the maximum.

We then headed towards panjim, the quaint capital city of this cute state of goa. I had made my list of places to go much before the trip started and hence was searching for a boutique shop called Barefoot. It is difficult to locate but worth your time. The shop has great collection of eclectic home decor products and also pretty everyday wear jewels. The shop is located at 31st Janeiro Road or as the locals say 31st January Road, just near the subway,in a bylane.

A day I was looking forward to, today I took the ride from North Goa to South Goa. I had one beach in mind, very less known, secluded and amazingly scenic. Hollant Beach is a secluded beach close to the airport and very less people know about it. The ride is also awesome, this is one good place to pack a lunch, chill and spend a day. The major attraction is that this beach offers one km of shore line with pool like water and nominal waves. This is the place to come and play a game of water polo with your friends.I had booked a flight next day early morning, this gave me 4 full days in Goa.

We reached our stay late afternoon, a cosy homestay managed by an extremely warm and helpful elderly couple. Dumped our bags and headed to the streets for a nice Goan lunch to soak in the vibe.Walked to the beach post lunch and this is where I realised there was a side to Goa that nobody talks about, the infamous dark side.The approach road all the way to the beach, swarming with tonnes of people. But, this was not the problem; their mentality was.I was absolutely disgusted and dismayed by the absolute lack of character amongst such a large number of men. Men commenting and either trying not to keep their hands to themselves or walk straight into the girls around.The beach was equally crowded but we decided to ignore the scenario and spend the rest of the evening swimming and playing football.After sunset we decided to change and head to Baga for new years eve.No surprises here- the crowd had only gotten worse. Tonnes of drunk, unruly men; no room to enter any party places; bouncers loosing their mind. Walking down Baga hearing men pass lewd comments all along thinking to myself whatever happened to respect? Goa on new year's was supposed to be an electrifying atmosphere with a bit of romance of course but it was everything​ but that. •note to self and all of you guys reading this: plan the new year's night properly and well in advance•Read More

We reached our stay late afternoon, a cosy homestay managed by an extremely warm and helpful elderly couple. Dumped our bags and headed to the streets for a nice Goan lunch to soak in the vibe.Walked to the beach post lunch and this is where I realised there was a side to Goa that nobody talks about, the infamous dark side.The approach road all the way to the beach, swarming with tonnes of people. But, this was not the problem; their mentality was.I was absolutely disgusted and dismayed by the absolute lack of character amongst such a large number of men. Men commenting and either trying not to keep their hands to themselves or walk straight into the girls around.The beach was equally crowded but we decided to ignore the scenario and spend the rest of the evening swimming and playing football.After sunset we decided to change and head to Baga for new years eve.No surprises here- the crowd had only gotten worse. Tonnes of drunk, unruly men; no room to enter any party places; bouncers loosing their mind. Walking down Baga hearing men pass lewd comments all along thinking to myself whatever happened to respect? Goa on new year's was supposed to be an electrifying atmosphere with a bit of romance of course but it was everything​ but that. •note to self and all of you guys reading this: plan the new year's night properly and well in advance•

Today was only about getting the feel of Goa and it was not disappointing definitely. An evening walk near the resort on Calangute beach was the perfect end of the day. Few shacks were open with lesser customers but same excitement. The tranquility of seashore with clouds all over the sky was soothing.

On reaching our guest house, we freshen up and went to beach . It was around 4 a.m in the morning but the aura of the place made us forget all our tiredness. In the morning , Ankit received a call and we got to know that one of our friend is already in Goa with his family.After a peaceful snooze , we took shower and went outside , hired a car and started our local sightseeing while heading towards Panjim . We decided to join the carnival that was supposed to be held on Valentine's day there. After a long fun-filled day, we went back to guest house and took some rest. Spending night on Calangute beach with friends while enjoying the music of water waves ,beer in hands, and cold breeze, gave an awesome feeling!!

We had booked 2 tier sleeper bus tickets and reached Panjim at 8 in the morning. From there, we took a bus to Calangute which took around 40 minutes to reach. We booked two rooms at a hotel near the beach for 1200 a day. It had two big beds, a nice and clean bathroom and a balcony! We anyway needed the room just to crash at night! We spent that day chilling at the beach, drinking beer and eating goan food at one of the beach shacks.

We reached the bus stop at around 8 am, took a bus to Calangute beach and in between saw the lanes of Old Goa with Portuguese houses all around us. We reached our hotel and the rest of the people joined us in the afternoon. Directly we headed to Baga beach, some of us saw the beach for first time and they were captivated by its beauty. The tossing waves of Baga and people jumping into it for a good amount of time really held us.

Best time to visit - January,February,March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,December

Surrounded by lush green valleys and numerous caves, Lonavala is a hill station set in the Sahyadri ranges. Its various treks, such as the Lonavala-Bhimashankar trek and the climb to Lohagad Fort and Duke’s Nose make it a favourite spots for trekkers and hikers.
Lonavala gleams beautifully green during the monsoon months, with waterfalls oozing out of everywhere. Besides the hikes, there are the the Karla and Bhaja caves, Tiger’s Leap, Lonavala Lake and Bhushi Dam to visit. Apart from its boundless scenic beauty, Lonavala now boasts of a private adventure park as well.
With endless shops in a row selling chikkis of all flavours, Lonavala is a paradise for all chikki lovers. The trademark chocolate walnut fudge is another scrumptious sweet treat.
By virtue of connecting the prominent cities of Mumbai and Pune by both road and rail, Lonavala serves as a quick escape resort town having accommodation of all kinds and for all budgets. Read More

I feel envious towards those who are born and brought up near hills. I’m fond of online personality tests and whenever I’m asked if I prefer hills to beaches, I always give a positive answer. Although beaches are romantic, I find solace in less crowdy places and that is why I prefer hills. Every time I visited my boyfriend, who is now my husband, we went on bike rides to the hills near Pune. Lonavala is one such places that still fills my heart with ebullience.It had been drizzling all day and to rejoice the generosity of the weather, we decided to go on a ride to Lonavala. The breathtaking valleys, coy mist, silvery skies transforming each second, prancing clouds, and lush green blanket of curly grass blew my mind. The road to the marvellous Tiger point was full of many hairpin curves and the mist was so dense that one could hardly say if the two headlights coming from the front were of a car or two different motorbikes. The trees on the road were bent as if they were doing it deliberately to hear the harmonious music of the wind.We reached the Tiger point. The place got its name as it gives impression of a tiger trying to leap across the valley. There was a small waterfall formed due to rain and the notorious mist was hiding it from it after every fifteen seconds as if it was a secret treasure. Yes, there was crowd, but it didn’t matter either. Thanks to the mist! We roamed around the place, the mist decreased suddenly, and I found a ravine nearby. It was so deep that most of the day it must have remained in shadow. Over it, a narrow path twisted its way down through the tress, over an open ridge where Sahyadri flora in varied hues grew wild, and then steeply down through a tangle of slender bamboo. I was about to call it heaven as the mist took the scene away from my eyes, and I was left illusioned as if I had been drugged.Visiting Lonavala and not tasting its delicious corn pakoras is like being in Switzerland and not tasting its cheese. The tempting fragrance of yummy pakoras with onion chutney is something that amplifies one’s hunger. The pakoras should be followed by a kulhad of hot coffee- so thick that if you don’t wipe your mouth after having it, you will be left with a crusty, brown moustache. To dig deep into the ocean of hillside cuisines, we also tried roasted corn with green pudina chutney peppered over it.It was around 6 o’clock when we decided to leave. The orange-purple Sun was peeping out from the grey clouds, and the city below was becoming alive with all electric lights. We could hear the leaves of the trees rustling and indicating that it was time to rest. The birds were going back to their nests with some savoury gifts in their beaks for their little ones, and we too returned with imperishable memories of the wedding of hills with clouds in Lonavala.

Route B: The second trail begins from Lonavala and crosses the Tungarali Dam to reach the Rajmachi Village. This is a 15km long straight road, where you can easily take a vehicle. However, cars can only go up to a certain point till a diversion comes. There is a place where you can park your vehicle at the diversion and from here the last one kilometre needs to be covered on foot.How to plan it: If you start your trek from Lonavala, you do not need more than a day to reach the fort and make your way back to Lonavala.Distance: 15kmWhere to stayKajrat:

We caught the train and started our journey. We reached Lonavala around 10.30 in the morning and hired cab to reach the Heritage Villa. On our way we stopped for breakfast and had mouthwatering spicy vada-pav and adrakwali chai. What a relief from hectic journey. Our villa provides the excellent view and surrounded by Mountains and Lush Greenery. After spending some time, we booked the cab and the journey begins.Tiger Point: This point resembles the shape of tiger. Hills were completely surrounded with the fog, which gives the spectacular view. A small waterfall makes the scene picture perfect. This exotic location beauty was just spellbound.Loin’s Point: Next to tiger point, this place is situated. The The hills and mountains get carpeted with lush greenery, clouds overflow the hills and cool breeze make the view is heavenly beautiful.Bhusi Dam: This dam was the jewel of our trip. The dam overflow with sparkling water and foggy weather and scenic waterfall makes you to fall in love with Lonavala. Indeed this place is the best hangout place with friends, and enjoys the water fun, but as its slippery steps and inconsistent water flow, you need to be very careful.Karla Caves: This is the house of the Buddhist shrines with ancient rock-cut caves. The place is very peaceful and architectural perfect. Most of the stupas are simply built and bare but some contain carvings on the top. Timing for visit is 9 AM to 5.30 PM and entry fee is 5/-Bhaja Caves: Located in Karla caves and display the sculpture of a prince in a chariot, dancing couple, an armed warrior and a prince seated on an elephant and much more. Small waterfall again makes the scene astonishingly beautiful.The caves are high up in the mountain and you need to climb up the stairs and many stalls are situated on your way. The beauty of Western Ghats is breathtakingly glorious.Celebrity Wax Museum: this was our last destination for the day. As name suggests some big celebrities, like Asha Bhosley, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Swami Vivekanand, Mr. Beans, Shaktiman, was statues are there. A good place to click photographs with all the celebrities and these statues will look original in some point. Timing for visit is 9 AM to 9.30 PM and entry fee is 100/-Our Day 1 journey ended and we came back to our villa, we packed variety of tasty roasted and grilled chicken and enjoy our dinner in balcony which is the best part of the villa. Good thing is loud music is allowed and we enjoyed a lot.

This hill resort offers a refreshing change of scenery. Just a three hour road trip from Mumbai it is a popular weekend getaway abuzz with adventuresome activities from trekking, camping and waterfall rappelling. Monsoon is the best time to see this hill station come alive. A place made very popular by Bollywood is Khandala and Lonavla, twin hill resorts that are about 93 kilometres away from the city along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. These two places stand 5 kilometres apart from each other and offer one adventures like trekking, camping under the skies, tour’s of the various farm houses that dot the place and water rappelling. The Korigad Fort is a great monument that stands here and so are the caves, Bhaja, Lohgad, the Tiger’s leap and Karla. It would also be fun to get a glimpse of the Duke’s Nose, a cliff that resembles the nose of the Duke of Wellington and aptly named after him.Distance from Mumbai - 83 Kms

When the monsoons come, the best place to visit is just a two hour drive away. Lonavla is a paradise during this time of the year and is at a height of 2041 feet above the sea. This hill station is a wonderful place to get away for the weekend and spend a few days in quietness. Nestled in the Sahyadri Ranges, this getaway spot is ideal for those who wish to snooze undisturbed. If you a looking for a good picnic spot to spend the weekend with your family, you may want to consider this place that is just 66 kilometres along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. For trekkers, this place has a lot to offer you. Visit the hill called the ‘Duke’s Nose’ or cave like Bhaja and Bhedsa for an adventure that will thrill you. The best time to pay this place a visit would be from October through to the month of April. We have made things a lot easier for you by adding Lonavala on our list of tourist places to visit near Pune within 100 km. Try water rappelling at Durshet, visit a rice plantation or camp out at Maval, this place is filled with options for you.Distance from Pune: 66 Km

Last week, one of my friends who was visiting Mumbai asked for my recommendations on things to do in Mumbai, where to eat and places to stay at Lonavla.Mumbai has always dazzled everyone with its charm. The warmth and high spirits of the city is quiet enticing.Here is what to do in Mumbai if you are there for a day or two!

Given the extreme popularity of the hill station, mainstream travellers often miss out on the historical attractions of the beautiful tourist places near Delhi. Situated very close to Lonavala are the Karla Caves, Bedsa Caves and Bhaja Caves that make for an interesting visit. Also check out the Lohagad, Visapur and Tungi Forts that hail back to the Yadava Empire.Distance from Mumbai: 96 kmWhere to stay: Citrus Lonavla3. Go trekking in Khandala

Recently we went for new year Eve party were in the mid night we met three people, although we were strangers to each other we share are snacks drinks hooka and danced like best friends this was my best new year eve ever because a place were no mobile no network we were not talking on what's app or fb but sharing our thoughts and singing n dancing forgetting all worries ..

Kolhapur, in Maharashtra, is a land of temples and regal palaces. The most revered of them is the Mahalaxmi Temple, which has a simple yet fascinating structure. Other temples here are the Temlabai temple, Jyotiba temple and the Bimkhambi Ganesh temple. The Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Museum, which was once the residence of the first Maharaja of the Maratha Empire, is a vivid display of artefacts representing the ancient history of the city. Take a walk through history at the Panhala Fort, which is an imposing fortification believed to have housed Chhatrapati Shivaji himself.
Kolhapur is known for its spicy array of Maharashtrian food. Try some of the local delicacies at Padma Guest House, Waman Guest House and Parakh. Being a bustling tourist destination, Kolhapur has a lot to offer when it comes to lodging for all types of budget travellers. Don't forget to take back the local Kolhapuri Chappals, that make for lovely traditional footwear. Read More

Now the D Day arrived it was 1st of Dec and I was sitting in my office preparing powerpoint presentation for the client instead of our roadtrip and celebrating our anniversary with my wife . My wife availed the leave as she had informed all her colleagues that we are going for the roadtrip and if she will go offc everyone will ask what happened. She was angry too and we didn’t talked in the morningMe : Hello, Happy AnniversaryWife : So ??? Do your offc work ( I can feel the Angriness on the other side of phone )Me : Lets continue our tripWife : How ????Me : Will travel in Night , pack the bags and be ready . We will start the journey once I reach home from OffcWife : Is it possible ?Me: Yes we will start today and cut short the journeyWife: YipppieMe: Ok, I will reach home by 4 will start soonSomehow pleaded to my manager that I will leave a bit early and he agreed. Now the wait was killing. Once the clock strike 3 30 PM I left office and was at home. When reached home found that the luggage is full ( Thanks to my wife who travels very heavy ) .Now there is no time to repack bags so we started from Pune by 5 PM with a good pace in chilling winter reached Kolhapur by 11 PM. Time to take rest in a pre-booked hotelNow another jolt of hammer, we informed the hotel earlier that we will be doing card payment, thanks to demonetisation we had only INR 6000 of hard cash. He agreed upon that but once we reached Kolhapur found that his swiping machine was not working as the internet is down ( Thanks to NHAI fellow who cut the broadband line while digging) and also he didn’t had any Paytm account. We tried for Online Transfer also but we failed. Now with no option left, we paid 2k to him in hard cash.Now the biggest question “Shall we return to Pune as we have only INR 4000 left”. Wife said will decide tomorrow morning as it’s already too late

The closest central place, to cover the spots, in Kolhapur one can visit Mahalakshmi Mandir, Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir, Shahu Place, Rankala Lake. Also you can visit famous Jyotiba temple which is hardly 26 Km from the place all places can be covered in 2 days span

From Kolhapur to Malvan it takes 5 hours. There are two routes to reach Malvan- via Gaganbawada ghat or via Radhanagri. We took the route via Radhanagri village. The road condition is good. But the route has lots of turns and swirls. We left from Kolhapur at 7.30am and reached Malvan at 1.30pm. On the way we stopped at Radhanagri for breakfast and at backwaters, a little ahead from Radhanagri near Anuradha village.

Only thing we did different today was 40km ride to Benaulim Beach. Road was in very good condition and we took around 40 mins to reach there from Agonda. The beaches in the south Goa are clean, beautiful and less crowded. You can make out the difference if you visit Panaji or Calangute at this time of the year.Read More

Only thing we did different today was 40km ride to Benaulim Beach. Road was in very good condition and we took around 40 mins to reach there from Agonda. The beaches in the south Goa are clean, beautiful and less crowded. You can make out the difference if you visit Panaji or Calangute at this time of the year.

To sum it all South Goa is the more serene half of the state where you’ll find some fabulous historic sights, Goa’s finest Portuguese mansions, winding country lanes and a series of resorts that range from the 5star hotel strips of Cavelossim and village feel of Benaulim, to the backpacker – friendly beach hut bliss of Palolem, Patnem and Agonda.If you want to drift into tranquility the south is a redolent, rewarding and re-energizing place to base yourself.

We arrived at around 10.30 am via a bus from Mumbai, the place is well connected from Mumbai. You get a lot of options, personally we chose to stick to travelling in a sleeper bus, which can cost somewhere from Rs.1400 - Rs1500.Benaulim, is close to Madgao so our halt was at Madgao, from where we booked an Innova for the duration of our stay there. It is advisable to book a car or a bike, as per convenience since the transportation otherwise via auto or cab can cost you a lot.A decent car can be availed within the budget of Rs.1000-1500 and a bigger one can dig a hole in your pocket upto Rs.3000.

A tiny beach town located within 10 kms of the bustling Madgaon is a must visit. It has a white sand beach which is relatively empty and has only a couple of shacks to eat. It is a place where you can sit under the beautifully clear night sky and spot the uncountable stars and galaxies in awe and admiration. It is so beautiful that you sometimes fear this is too good to be true and you are either hallucinating and It is just a huge painted ceiling you are stating at. One can also make an occasional wish on a falling star in the quiet and clear night. The village itself is located among green rain kissed coconut trees and small, beautiful and clean houses with a garden on the porch adorn the countryside. The feeling is that you have been transported to a time gone by as you sit and reminiscence about where you are, what you have achieved and most importantly what could have been.Varca Beach:

Best time to visit - January,February,June,July,August,September,November,December

A lovely city in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Ratnagiri is a port city surrounded by the beautiful Sahyadri Hills. If this is your first time here, you'll be spoilt for choice.
Ganapatipule Beach makes for a great visit and is perfect for a leisurely afternoon. There is a Ganesh temple right next to the beach that is also worth a visit. The Ratnadurg or Bhagwati Fort, which is a beautiful structure constructed in a horseshoe shape, surrounded by the Arabian Sea, is also a beautiful place to check out. Thebaw Palace is another lovely touristy spot where the Burma King Thebaw was imprisoned. The palace is built in Pagoda style and is a must see. Bhatyachi Khadi is where the river meets the sea; the village near this place is Bhatye known as Bhatyachi Khadi.
If you're here from March to June, do pick up some juicy Alphonso mangoes that the city is famous for.
There are a lot of other scenic cities around Ratnagiri and depending on your mood, you can choose any of the cities to spend your vacations. Read More

According to the inscriptions on clay tablets that were found during initial excavations at Ratnagiri in 1960s,this was a great center of learning for Tantric Buddhism and especially Vajrayana school.The clay tablets also mention it's name as 'Shri Ratnagiri Mahavihariya Arya Bhikshu Samaghya'.It was active between 5 th and 13 th century AD.Amid the scattered ruins at the hilltop are various votive stupas but it's the main monastery complex at the center which is miraculously preserved till date.The entrance gate to the main compound is made up of green chlorite stone with some intricate carvings which makes it distinct from other stones in the compound .As we stepped inside once again,stories ran in my head about monks and their activities that would have kept the place busy many centuries ago.
The various sized Buddha heads were aglow with the direct moonlight falling over them.What could the various head sizes signify? May be they were designed as various steps towards attaining the greatest wisdom,of becoming the perfect Buddha head. Ratnagiri has two large monasteries and right in the middle of it stands a large statue of Buddha which is flanked by the statues of Vajrapani and Padmapani,two Boddhisatvas. As you walk the periphery of the main compound,the highly advanced and intricate drainage system of the facility stuns you. The large monastic complex houses around twenty four cells for residence made up of bricks.At a given time,more than five hundred monks could have lived and studied at this center.The center also housed three copies each of major scriptural works of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.
The Lama never talked,as if he had come only to quench my curiosity.But talking was not necessary,and I learned to appreciate the soothing beauty of quietness and silence.As I saw the diverse stone artefacts strewn all over the place I was reminded of what Tagore had told of the Konark Temple,that "here the language of stones had surpassed the language of man".Here too the stone works made the human need of language redundant.
Me: But when one speaks of Buddhist history or heritage,no one speaks in same breath about Odisha as they do about other sites like Bodh Gaya or Nalanda. Lama: As per texts and Buddhist chronicles found in Tibet,China and Ceylon,a place called 'Odiyyana' is mentioned where the roots of Vajrayana Buddhism took shape.This place in all probability could be the present day Odisha and the great learning centers of Tantric Buddhism they refer to could almost certainly be the Puspagiri University that we are currently standing at.The entire sect of Vajrayana Buddhism seems to have originated from these scholastic centers at Lalitgiri-Ratnagiri-Udaygiri complex if we take the available archeological and literary evidence into consideration. The old Buddhist Pali canons and Pas-Sam-Jon-Zang a Tibetan Buddhist text mention the land of Odiyyana where many great Tantric Buddhist preachers lived. The canons mention many secret places called 'Beyuls' where a seeker could go and find enlightenment and knowledge.Such Beyuls were hidden valleys and retreats often found in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet and India.The locations of these secret valleys were kept in scrolls which were placed in important monasteries and stupas.Sambhala is a well known beyul. Me: Just like James Hilton described the valley of Shangri-la in his book 'The Lost Horizon'? Lama: Hilton's story of Shangri-la was actually inspired from the myth of Sambhala itself.If you look closely the name Shangri-la is a modified form of Sambhala only. Me: Ah! Yes .....I never thought about it before,strange! And what role does Sambhala play in Tantric Buddhism? Lama: According to legends,the Tantric rituals of Kalachakratantra was taught to the Kings of Sambhala by Buddha himself.The kings of Sambhala wanted to follow the path of enlightenment without renouncing the world so they requested the Sakyamuni to teach them a less austere method of reaching Dharma and Truth,Buddha gave the first initiation of the Kalachakra rituals.Further a Tibetan text called 'The Blue Annals' credits Acharya Cheluka of bringing the teachings of Kalachakratantra to India from the mythical land of Sambhala. The philosophy that guides the school of Vajrayana Buddhism states that though the goal of all living beings is same i.e attaining knowledge and Nirvana,there are other methods of reaching there apart from the old methods of austere meditations. The tantric rituals can provide that path to salvation.
Me: So Vajrayana created a short-cut path to salvation,because the older methods of meditations were hard and time taking? Lama: Let's not be quick to judge the ways and methods people adopt in their lives.As each person is unique so is their path to salvation. As I mentioned before,our current lack of knowledge on Tantric Buddhist practices in these parts of Odisha comes to a road block due to the secretive doctrines of the people who followed the school of Vajrayana. The stroll in the lonely night had got us very far from Ratnagiri now.Perhaps the Lama was aware of it but I was far from realizing that we had stumbled upon the foothills of the grand ruins of Udaygiri.I was astonished because the journey in the daytime had taken a much longer .So far so good.Like Ratnagiri, the excavations at Udaygiri stand on a hill top which is spread over a much larger area and even during the day the hillside looks beautiful.As if someone has sprinkled those stone artifacts over the lush green rolling hills. I could see the moon's reflection in the deep well that stands at the foot of the hills.Stone staircases lead down to the well which was sparkling in the moon light.
In the same time as the monasteries at Ratnagiri,the facilities at Udaygiri had their peak time from 7 th century to 12 th century AD.The inscriptions found at the site refer to the name of the place being Madhavapura Mahavihara.Udaygiri has a large monastic complex amid it's ruins and among it's many relics the most interesting are the unearthed images of 'Dhyani Buddhas'. Not to miss out on details,the Lama showed me a stone carving on the entrance wall of the compound.Even in the moonlight,I could make out the figure.It was a human figure swinging on a rope with his eyes closed,in a prefect state of happiness.Nobody perhaps knows who or what the figure means,but may be it means exactly what the viewer feels by watching it,a sense of calm and bliss.A single piece of stone can speak to you across the length of ages.
On the hills of Udaygiri there exists a huge Mahastupa where four cardinal Buddhas sit facing each direction.Akshobya facing East,Amitabha facing West,Amoghasiddhi facing North and Ratnasambhava facing South. I returned to the conversation at hand.
Me: We were speaking of the Kalachakra tantra. And Kalachakra Tantra is one of the ritualistic practices of Vajrayana Buddhism? I saw the initiation ceremony last summer at Leh by the Dalai Lama. Lama: The Kalachakra Tantra is the most evolved and complicated form of Vajrayana school.Even today it is considered as one of the highest form of Tantric philosophy.Apart from the sect of Vajrayana itself,the Kalachakra Tantra may have it's roots in Odisha. 'Kala' means time,'chakra' means wheel and 'tantra' means a system.This tantric practice in Buddhism is based on the concept of Time and how we perceive it.Almost all religions and schools of philosophy consider time to be cyclic in nature,so does Tantric Buddhism but it differentiates the time cycles into three parts.The internal cycle,the external cycle and the alternative cycle. Internal and external cycles are passage of time as we perceive it.Just like modern science,Buddhism considers time to be a measurement of rate of change of things around us. Me: This is very interesting indeed.What are these internal,external and alternative time cycles according to Kalachakratantra? Lama: As I said before the external and internal cycles are time as we human beings perceive it. For example the change of moon's shape and location in sky denote the monthly lunar cycle which can be considered as external time perception.Similarly the menstrual cycle of a woman's body is an example of internal time perception.The alternative time cycle is a way taught by the teachers of Kalachakra to gain harmony over the internal and external time cycles. So this summer in Leh,when you saw the Dalai Lama initiate the Kalachakra rituals,he was paving the way for gaining harmony over the influence of time. Me: The Buddha himself never came to the land of Kalinga to teach or give sermons? Lama: Though there is no direct evidence of Buddha coming to Kalinga or preaching here,but places and their names have been a shifting entity on the pages of history. The 1st Khandaka of Mahavagga text in Buddhism confirms that two honey traders from Odisha named Tapassu and Bhallika were the first lay disciples of Buddha after he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.They offered honey cakes to Buddha after receiving teachings from him. Me: Not only the tantric sects but the entire Hindu pantheon seems to have assimilated Buddhism in current times.I have seen Buddhist images like Avalokotisvara,Tara,Yaksas etc in many Hindu temples especially in Odisha. Lama: Later during awakenings of Vaishnavite and Bhakti sects in medieval India,the all encompassing arm of Hinduism took Buddhism into it's fold and many considered Buddha as 9th incarnation of Bishnu.This happened in complete paradox of the fact that Buddhism became famous in ancient India when people revolted to some degree to the Brahmanical-Vedic orthodoxy in society.In current age,images of Dhyani Buddha has been found in the de-plastered walls of Puri's Jagannath Temple. The Asokan rock edicts and the stone carved elephant at Dhauli are the earliest evidence of Buddhism's presence in Odisha.A very similar rock cut elephant has been found in the excavations of relics near Kaima in Jajpur district.As per records ,even a stupa existed near the rock edicts at Dhauli until 19 th century which was lost to time later on.
A Prakrit inscription in Nagarjunakonda confirms that 'Puspagiri' in Odisha along with Nalanda ,Tosali and Palur were great centers of Buddhist learning and scholastic traditions.There are even speculations that the Buddhist preacher Padmasambhava else known as Guru Rinpoche spent some time studying and contemplating in these hills of Odisha.Guru Rinpoche is credited with taking Buddhism to many Himalayan kingdoms as Tibet,Sikkim and Bhutan.
The figures of Buddhist iconography such as Boddhisatvas,mandalas,images of Tara,fourteen forms of the Avalokotiswara,many Yakshas and Yakshinis that are spread through coastal Odisha and some western parts just goes to confirm that Buddhism had a stronghold in the land and helped in the propagation of the sect to far off lands beyond India.
Me: I had never pondered on the idea that Odisha had such a substantial contribution to the rise and propagation of Buddhism in India and elsewhere.When I used to visit those monasteries and lamaseries in remote Himalayan valleys of Ladakh and Himachal,I never thought my home state would have played such a grand role in the epic narrative of Buddhism. Lama: I will once again go back to Tagore to illustrate my point....he once said that "though I traveled great many countries and visited far off lands from my home,I forgot to see the beautiful dew drop outside my window". I suppose you understand what he meant by that. Me: Yes dear Teacher,I most surely do.I always have it in mind that though I am out to explore the world I shall know my home land up close and thoroughly.Only when resident Odias have knowledge of their rich cultural heritage and past,rest of the world will slowly know too.I suppose I realize that. Lama: A Teacher is only as good as the pupil he is teaching....the more thirsty a student is,the better a teacher becomes.Now that you have accepted me as a teacher,will you do a small favor to these old bones? Me: What may I ask? Lama: Nothing,just a ride along the road till we get to the oldest of the three sites in the Diamond Triangle. So with the chilly winter wind against us.A young man and an old lama were riding on through deserted roads to Lalitgiri which is 8-9 kms down the road from the sites of Ratnagiri and Udaygiri.While on the road, we found an old couple whose vehicle had broken down and we stopped to help them out.The desperate old faces heaved a sigh of relief when the lama and me got down to give a hand to the broken down car.While the lama took the wheel,I was at the engine part.A small battery problem which was sorted out quickly and we bid farewell to the old man and woman who were repeating 'thank you's' till we got embarrassed.
It must have been the last quarter of the long moonlit night,when we arrived at Lalitgiri. It was at this site,that tooth relics and bone relics were found in a stone casket.The bones and tooth were in a charred or half burnt condition and many consider them to belong to Buddha himself,but nobody can be sure.The Buddhist iconography and sculptures found scattered in these parts are highly esoteric in nature.More than fourteen forms of Avalokotisvaras have been found in Odisha and many have been unearthed here.No other place in India displays such variety in artifacts.
Lalitgiri was the place where Tantric Buddhism was prevalent from around 300 BC to 13 th century AD.And hence it is considered as the oldest of the sites at Langudi hills. The terracotta inscriptions found here mention this place as 'Sri Chandraditya Vihara Samagra Arya Bhiksu Sanghasa'.
Images of Buddha in various poses,images of Tara and other beings, sculptures of Avalokotisvara and many forms of Boddhisatvas,all strewn over the places and excavation is still going on. The old lama once again takes my hand to show something particular, an image of a woman breastfeeding a child.
Me: Who is she? Lama: Her name is Hariti and she used to be a child lifter before Buddha persuaded her to become the protector of children.To be a mother to all those who do not have that privilege. Apart from four large monasteries at Lalitgiri,the major attraction is an apsidal ChaityaGruha or stupa completely made of bricks.
After circulating the large stupa and prayer hall I walked over the slope to watch a glorious sight that people in today's age take for granted.I watched the sun climb slowly over the horizon and change the color of the sky.The sun has been doing this for ages,but still we find the sight ethereal.May be because our lives depend on it.May be because we know our time on this earth is limited and it would be a sin to miss out on such splendid and yet so simple views.
I expected the lama to say something about that divine view,but as I turned around, he was not to be found.Morning always brings a change but this was something I had not expected.I searched all over the place and called him out but to no avail.My teacher had disappeared just as easily as he had appeared back in Ratnagiri hill top.I climbed down the slopes near the ruins to see if the old man would be waiting near the bike.But nothing.The last I saw him was when he sat down on the big rock under the huge tree. Perhaps more than surprised,I was disappointed,may be even a tad angry. There were no proper goodbyes and no parting words.
This was the end of the line.The long night where we both contemplated on the ruins of the Diamond Triangle had come to a passé.As fog clutched the countryside I rode my bike alone back on the road to Ratnagiri in faint hope of finding the old lama somewhere waiting for me.Has he landed in some trouble?I was agitated and raced back.
While on the road,the night flashed before me and all those images of the past swarmed past me.The ruins on these hills nearby had taken a shape in my mind.A heritage of the rich past of this land and a promise for the future times.My mind swam at the disappearance of the old lama.I was in distress because I knew I was too realistic a person to believe in phantom lamas who came and went as they pleased.
Atleast someone I knew appeared on the foot of Ratnagiri hilltop.The old couple sipping tea at the road side tea stall smiled at me when I stopped my bike.They quickly offered me a hot cup of tea and only then I realized how bitterly cold the morning air was.
Trying very hard to hide my anxiety, I just asked-"Have you seen the old man who was with me last night? I am afraid I lost him somewhere".
The old lady looked at me and then at her husband.
"The poor old man.He must be having trouble trying to find me....he was all alone", I added. Between the old woman changing her face from being aghast to a funny smile on her lips,the old man said,"Which old man?You were all alone last night when you stopped to help us".
Taking the cup in my hands, I looked away.I tried very hard to recall the last words of the old lama.
Soumya D Jena 10th March 2017This post was originally published on The Lost Hermit.

View from train, Konkan railway passes through most amazing ghats of India. It was joyful ride. But when we dropped at thivim station it was extremely hot and tourists do complained about it. But this was my third trip to Goa and I knew the fun awaits here.

In my quest to travel and experience new destinations and places I decided to travel towards the Konkan highway this time. Being a Delhite the lure of the mountains is so much that you seldom make plans doing random trips towards Maharashtra. So here I was on my journey again with a few tips on the internet – stay, weather and travel distances was all that I was armored with. My SLR slung on my shoulders to take on yet another journey of its own.My destination – Romancing the Konkan highway with no real agenda – Just to experience it the way it is! The cities that draped the highway. The beautiful coastline. Lush green paddy fields and much more. I got on to a hired car from Mumbai and set off towards Ratnagiri – a commercial town by the seaside. 7 -8 drive from Mumbai and you land up in at a beautiful destination – The journey had its own experience –Driving through Ghats and quaint little villages. The coastline villages and the homes are so very different from the ones you see in the north – Lush green and brightly colored. The cuisine on the way was interesting from Poha breakfast to fish Thalis at the local eating joints.

The most scenic leg of the journey. Sea on one side Green mountains on the other. Located on the same MH SH 4, Ganpatipule stretch is something i will remember my whole life. It was like the movie perfect scene. All along the route I could see the virgin beaches where one could spend countless hours relaxing. Unfortunately we were running short of sunlight so we have to rush through this stretch and hence didn't get chance to click many pics.

Ratnagiri is just another town situated along the beautiful Goa-Bombay road. Goa-Bombay road is one of the best roads I've been to. All the green on both side and the awesome monsoon weather is just superb. Riding on MH SH 4 from Ratnagiri to Jaigad is a different experience alltogether. The scenic beauty is simply mesmerizing. Be careful while riding on this route though there wold not be any traffic but there will be numerous green snakes crossing the road.

This is a place which was first discovered by the hippies and is situated in the Northern part of Goa. This is a beach known to be one of the most popular in Goa and is surrounded by the Calangute Beach on one side and the Anjuna Beach on the other side. The Baga Beach starts from where the Calangute Beach ends though the place cannot be exactly pin pointed. This is also a shoppers paradise with all sorts of flea markets and the fresh seafood is wow over here. Also, you can enjoy a number of water sports and activities in this beach area such as jet skiing, para sailing, surfing and others. The people around here are always in a festive mood and dance and music are a major part of their culture here. They have carnivals during christmas and New Year too. Also, the people here are very religious and the main religion followed here is Christianity. The lifestyle here is a blend of Indian and Portuguese to a large extent. This is a stunning evidence of the fact that Goa was under the rule of Portuguese colonies till even a decades ago before it was taken over by the Indian Government.Read More

It was close to midnight and I wasn't going to let a bunch of hooligans ruin it for me so I decided to drown them out and we just got our group together and danced our way into the new year accompanied by firework displays along the entire beach. With the new year set in we could see the crowd get more unfiltered and decided to head elsewhere and ended up in a Russian party. It was a private party but since we were a mixed bunch they let us in. Some good music, food and a better crowd kept us going till about 4am after which we decided to get some sleep.

Have lunch at Britto's beach shack (Recommended dish - Anything really!)Explored Baga beach which is one of the most famous beaches to chill, explore various shacks and for water sports.Dinner at A Reverie, Calangute - One of the best fine dine restaurants I've visited in Goa. They serve the most decadent dishes possible ranging from Indian to Continental! They also have an extremely romantic open ambience with a live band playing lovely music in the background. (Recommended dish - Thai Thali)

https://youtu.be/62_n5dvTxgQAt night we started with welcome drink and as you know"I wouldn't want to disclose what happened in Goa"On next day, after Baga beach, we headed towards Panaji. It is a well-planned city just about 20 kilometres from Goa. The road connecting the Panaji is 3 lanes expressway and riding a bike on this road is quite a fun. Panjim is the home of one of the popular Basilica of Portuguese times; Basilica of Bom Jesus.

At night we went to Baga Beach which is not very far from Calangute. That night was the most incredible night ever! The beach shacks were lit in sparkling lights and I could hear country side music playing in the backround. It was my birthday the next day and my friends surprised me with a cake and sky lanterns at midnight. We stayed there till 3 walking along the soft sand, looking at the waves clashing on the shore, sparkling in the moonlight!

Woke up and hired a bike from the owners of the huts we were staying at to enjoy a nice ride to Baga beach for breakfast. But as it always happens with me, the quantity as well as the quality of the crowd got to me and I could not get back to peaceful old Mandrem fast enough. Had an idle evening at Mandrem with lots of dips and food.

Sigh. Need I tell you anything more about this place? You plan for it every year, and the plan ultimately fails. This time, make it happen.Must do while here: Go paragliding on the beach. Spend the entire night in a frenzy on the Baga lane.Average cost per day per head (excluding flights): Rs. 2,000Best Hotels.Read more about Baga.Well-well, just create a WhatsApp group with all your buddies today and materialise a big plan as soon as possible. It's been long overdue. If you have interesting stories to tell us about travelling with your gang, do share them with us here. We're all ears!

Long live Goa.. "once more" is the word when it comes to Goa.. This is strictly with regard to north Goa; since I didn't get a chance to leave it and explore the south. So, my trip was with 5 of my school friends and it was planned for 5 days stay in Goa. It was a first for all of us in Goa. Since we were jobless at that moment, our budget was roughly 10k for each but it ended up in just 8k per head! Yes! you read that right. As it was march, we killed our "no ways" and booked out train tickets in sleeper class. It cost us 700/- per head for one way. Surprisingly, despite of the 33 hours long journey, the konkan scenaries and vada pao venders made it go in a poof! We had booked it till Thivim; since we were sticking to Baga-Calangute only. We booked a cab for 6 of us from Thivim to Titos lane, Baga, for 500/- and stayed there at Casa Madgaonkar Villa by paying 2800/- per night for the whole villa with kitchen. The villa is really nice and best for its location. Its on Titos lane 2, which is just opposite Titos lane and you can see the beach and tiding sea waves from just standing outside these villas. We rented 2 scooty and 1 avenger for 250/- each per day and 600/- per day respectively.

What I do primarily when I reach my room? I take out my locket out and wear it instantly before any 'Kala Jadu' happens to me at the newest-most-exciting-happening place of India. Oh, yes, I again changed so that I could use all the 6 Tees and wardrobe I purchased especially for this heavenly trip.